Walk to End Alzheimer's

I took part in my first charity walk recently. At least I think it was my first. I might have done something in college, but I honestly don’t remember. And if you can’t remember, it didn’t happen, right?

In all seriousness, I didn’t hesitate to get involved with the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s held Sept. 19 in Plover. I’ve become more involved with the Alzheimer’s Association since coming to this job in January. I attend the monthly caregiver support groups sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Association. I serve as a co-facilitator and take notes from our guest speakers’ presentations for our newsletter. I attended an Alzheimer’s Association state conference earlier this year to learn more about all aspects of this disease.

So, when I got information about the walk, I thought Hilltop should be a part of it. I had to get an OK from my boss. Fortunately, she’s fine with pretty much anything I suggest -- especially if the price is right and I’m willing to do any legwork. Done and done.

There is no charge to participate in the walk. Our team and any members were expected to seek donations for the Alzheimer’s Association. Through the generosity of family members and friends, I was able to hit my personal goal, and our team raised a percentage of our goal. I’m not sure of our final total, because at least one person made a donation the day of the walk.

We were a little skimpy on walkers. While several people were interested in participating, it was a busy weekend, and life got in the way. I walked along with the spouse of one of our residents. We had a nice talk as we walked the two-mile route. The sun was shining. It was a good day to get out for a walk. We had an honorary team do a 3-mile route out of town at the same time -- to be with us in spirit, even if they couldn't be there in person.

As with so many work activities, I took some photos and video. One of my personal tweets garnered 18 favorites and several retweets. (Please follow us on Twitter @1Mystique1 and @HilltopWR.) I wanted to put together a video of the experience for our Facebook page. Videos do pretty well there, and it was a nice experience. (You can watch our video on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZYyM9P7XcY or Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/733813290059083/videos/vb.733813290059083/856199224487155/?type=2&theater. You can follow us on Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube channel.)

The walk was a family-friendly event. There were lots of kids in strollers and even some dogs on leashes. Everyone was orderly and seemed in a good mood. There were plenty of purple shirts – you got one for raising more than $100. Some families made their own shirts to remember a loved one. One family dressed in matching purple wigs and capes to honor their “super hero.” We enjoyed free doughnuts and coffee from Dunkin’ Donuts before the walk, and a lunch was served afterward. Volunteers welcomed us back to the village park plaza after the walk with signs of support, plenty of waves and smiles and even some cowbells.

Next year, I hope to have a bigger Hilltop team take part. Maybe we can wear matching purple shirts or capes. I’m holding out hope for the capes. 

A selfie in my purple walk T-shirt. Next year, a cape?

Shake, shake, shake, senora!

The activity idea wasn’t mine. A co-worker found it in a magazine.

It was to celebrate Mexico’s Independence Day, Sept. 16. It included the history of the day, a craft idea and a snack idea. Everything revolved around Mexico’s flag colors – red, white and green. My co-worker set everything up, but she had to be out of the office during our regular activity time. So, I took over leading the project, with help from staff members and my son, who volunteers once a week at Hilltop.

We made maracas.

Our maracas have different designs.

They are simple and fun. You decorate paper bags (we used markers and colored pencils in green and red), add rice, beans or anything small and dry that will shake inside the bag, roll the top and add a couple of staples. Shake, shake, shake to your heart’s content.

This bag is styled on the Mexican flag.

I created a a streaming music channel on my phone of Mexican music to accompany us. We made our maracas. The music and maracas made me thing of the Harry Belafonte song, “Jump in the Line,” which I had to look up from the lyrics, “Shake, shake, shake senora.” I found it on YouTube and started it.

I shook maracas. I got residents to shake maracas. I sang. I danced. I got my teenage son to shake a maraca and smile at his goofy mother.

Six minutes later I’m wondering if this song will ever end. Somehow I managed to find a 7-minute, 21-second version. I finally stopped it. I’d had enough shaking.

I don’t know what the residents thought. Maybe that I was silly dancing around and shaking paper bags with rice. The staff members gave me some odd glances. Maybe they were jealous of my great talent at shaking paper bags and acting goofy. I never said I could sing or dance well. If they were job requirements, I’d be out. Fortunately, no one really judges you here.

And sometimes, it’s all fun and games at work – literally.

Watch our video

Making maracas video

Help guide for dementia

Even before I officially joined the Hilltop team, I was invited to be part of the Supportive Community Health Services Roundtable, an initiative of the United Way of Inner Wisconsin. It’s a relatively new group, organized to address unmet needs in the community related to health services. Angela Loucks, chairwoman of the roundtable, suggested it might be a good fit in my new position. As a representative of assisted living, she assumed I could help speak to possible needs we witness.

As it turned out, the group already had a focus when I joined earlier this year: creating a dementia-friendly community.

Some communities in Wisconsin are working toward the same goal. Recently, the Aging & Disability Resource Center-Central Wisconsin has been tasked by the state with taking the lead on creating a dementia-friendly community, so the roundtable might instead focus on creating an age-friendly community, which would overlap in some ways but be broader in scope.

But in the process of discussing dementia needs, Angie noticed she was learning about a number of different resources and wondered if they were compiled in some form for families. She suggested putting together a dementia help guide for families.

The brochure would be styled like the Help Guide for South Wood County, a brochure that provides resources to people who need financial assistance. The Help Guide answers questions about how to apply for unemployment, how to find child care, how to get help with rent or utilities, how to get food or learn new skills to find a job – among many other topics. It’s easy to use and chock full of good information.

So, what would we put in a dementia help guide? Caregivers at our Alzheimer’s support group suggested where to get cheaper medical supplies, how to handle taking away a driver’s license, transportation options and respite care. Angie wants to include information about the support group, our memory cafes (there are two!), ADRC services, Park Place Adult Day Services and memory care facilities.

She also plans to include a card to cut out, like this one.

It’s something a person can give to a server at a restaurant or a store clerk, for example. The back features community resource information.

What would you include in a dementia guide in our community? What resources exist that we should highlight? What questions do you have that the guide could answer? You may call Angie at 715-421-0390 or post a comment here, and I’ll pass it along to her. Thank you, in advance, for your assistance.

Baby therapy

We had a young visitor at Hilltop. She’s got blue eyes and dark hair – what there is of it. She’s beautiful, and she brings out the best in all of the residents.

She’s the 3-month-old daughter of a co-worker. She came dressed in a pink, summery outfit, bright-eyed and wiggly. She easily won over the hearts of everyone – staff members, residents and family members of residents.

“I hear there’s a baby here,” said the wife of one of our residents as she came into the office. She wanted a turn to hold her, too.

We all did. We cooed and touched and oohed over her. We let her grasp our fingers in her tiny hands, and we held her tiny feet in our big hands.

We couldn’t get enough of her.

She’s a very pretty baby.

But it was more than just that. There is something about children and babies that appeal to us. It’s a rare person who isn’t intrigued by little ones. Our residents love it when staff or family members bring in their children or grandchildren. It might be their size or the energy they exude. It might be the memories stirred of their own children.

Even the next day, one of the residents at the Estate was gushing about the baby who came to visit, about how beautiful she was and how special it was to see and hold her.

While the residents in our memory care facility might not remember her visit, the joy they experienced in the moment is priceless.

That’s why we said we need baby therapy at least once a month. While our residents enjoy it when pets visit, they really love it when a baby visits. I guess the only trouble is babies grow up. But we’ll treasure their visits as long as we can.